Arsene Wenger says he always felt Hector Bellerin could be something special for Arsenal, but has warned that despite a fantastic breakthrough season and the signing of a new contract, he can’t feel assured of his place in the team.
The 20 year old right-back was handed a chance when Mathieu Debuchy got injured last season, and took it with aplomb, but the Arsenal manager says the quality and experience of the French international will provide Bellerin with real competition.
Speaking about his expectations for the Spaniard next season, he said, “I expect him to confirm all the good aspects of his game that he has shown, and to accept that he has a tough challenge with Mathieu Debuchy.
“Mathieu is a guy who has always shown unbelievable mental strength and has top quality. He’s a regular player in the French national team so Hector cannot rest. He has a big battle to face.”
The former Barcelona youngster talked this week of how working with Arsene Wenger was a big draw for him, and it seems the manager was equally impressed when the pair met.
“He’s a very serious, mature boy,” he said. “I met him when he was 15, and I could see straight away that there was something special on the hunger side, on the desire and maturity side.
“He was a very mature boy very early.”
His Arsenal future is now secured until 2020, and we’re looking forward to seeing him grow even further as a player.
Fantastic player already and a great lad! Good to have him on a long deal
Prepare for some plateaus or even drops in performance, he is still young.
But starting from such a level he should be a top top player over time.
‘Mental strength’, something I have come to associate with injury prone with regards to our players over the years.
Hope we finally get to see what we payed for in Debuchy this season.
I’am aware both of his injuries were mostly down to bad luck rather than him being injury prone.
Exactly this, the first one is plain bad luck that his foot got stuck in the turf the way it did and the 2nd was down to a cuntish orc prick
People have been too quick to write Debuchy off forgetting that when he has played for us he’s been pretty good, done extremely well at CB as well.
Really is great to have the problem of choosing between Bellerin & Debuchy at RB goes to show our strenght in depth across all positions really
one day he will break usain bolt’s 100 m record
Has Bellerin won the world best 5 times in a row?
No.
Then no resting until that feat is achieved.
Has Bellerin won the world best 5 times in a row?
No.
Then no resting until that feat is achieved.
goodluck lad on your adventure
Hector has Arsenal DNA 😉
Hmmm much as i want to believe in debuchy i saw him get caught oit of oosition so many times when he olayes at RB for us…think Bellerin and Jenkinson are better bets
And yes i.m drunk and grumpy
Arsenal legend u are an idiot btw
Last season Blogs said we only had 6 defenders. Granted I agreed we were one Cback short of being effective/competitive but I believed we had 7 defenders. BC As I mentioned then, Bellerin was being prime for a step up regardless of Chambers. He had been impressing for two summers and IMO was a viable upgrade to Jenkinson. I believe Wenger was planning to hedge his bets replacing Sagna who had been a stalwart for us in the RB position. Thereby he was going to cover with the experience of Debuchy (who had replaced Sagna in the French first team… Read more »
Looks a bit like Nathan Moore Brother Beyond days.